The love of an old friend
by NightmareWuulf
Summary: First Fic, so please try not to be too harsh with the comments. Helpful tips and pointers deeply appreciated. Riley, Reiner, and Bertolt grew up together in the city of Marley. But, things change when they are separated. (Swearing, Violence, Sexual Mention ((Merely mentioned))


Walking through the halls of Marley's military HQ, she sighed as today had marked nine years since the last time she seen her childhood friends. As she was walking in her thoughts, her blue eyes noticed that the door to the main office was cracked and several voices could be heard. She was going to ignore it when she walking passed till the Commander said something that caught her attention. Standing to the left of the door, she focused all her attention on the conversation.

"Ha! They really think they will be able to keep us from getting the Coordinate!" A louder, older man boasted loudly.

"Pipe down you moron!" Another voice growled with hostility.

"None of that matters. Reiner and Bertolt have been stationed there for five years now. I know this mission has taken a long time, but, we will find it and reclaim it for ourselves." The commander laughed boldly.

"E-excuse me, sir. B-but, aren't they stationed in that three walled city to the southwest of here beyond the mountain range?" A younger male questioned nervous, seeming to have just made it to their ranks.

Hearing this news nearly caused her heart to stop.They're still alive?She thought to herself as she quickly wrote down the coordinates when the commander explained them to the new boy. Not lingering any longer, Riley ran full sprint out of the HQ and to the large apartment building she stayed in. Heading up three floors and to the sixth door on the right, she unlocked her door and rushed inside slamming the door behind her.

Snatching her green duffle bag from beneath her bed, she ran to her dresser and pulled out some clothes then done the same with her wardrobe. Once she had all of her things packed, Riley took one last look in the mirror. She was an average looking girl with long Cherry blonde hair that fell just passed her shoulders and shimmering blue eyes. Having quickly changed, she was wearing a black v-neck shirt with a green cloak and gray pants along with a pair of black boots.

Satisfied with her appearance, she quickly left the apartment building and started toward the stables next to the gate of the city that was open during the day. Slipping into the stables, she walked over to the stable of a tall gray horse with a black blaze that was already saddled. Opening the door and grabbing his reins, she pressed her forehead to it's nose with a sigh.

"Stark, it's time to say goodbye to Marley." Petting his nose, she walked to the horse's left side and slung her bag into the saddle strapping it down.

Climbing into the saddle, she clicked her tongue signalling Stark to walk. Leading him to the stable exit, she quickly left and sprinted the horse out of the gates. Racing out into the mountainous terrain, she started down the trail with her compass in hand and a copy of the coordinates written down on her wrist.

Reiner was sitting on the couch in the apartment he shared with Bertolt and Annie, staring blankly into space. He sighed as he thought about the past, remembering one thing in particular. Placing his hand on his head, he groaned leaning his neck back against the couch.

"You ok, Reiner?" Annie questioned as she dried her hands from finishing the dishes.

"Nine years ago today was the last time we seen our friend, Riley." Bertolt grabbed her shoulder to stop her from going any further near the blonde brute.

Looking up at the six foot two inch tall male, she leaned back against the counter. "Then why aren't you as depressed? Who is Riley?"

"Riley that we started school with. She didn't have a mother, she left her and her father when she was a baby. Her father was severely abusive and most of the kids at school bullied her." He sighed as he heard Reiner shift on the couch. "Reiner stood up for her one day. A little boy knocked her down so him and his friends could kick her. He saw this and took down every one of them. That's when we became friends. Reiner always protected her at school, no matter if they were in different classes or not."

"I see." Looking over to her muscular friend, she still didn't understand why he seemed so upset till Bertolt cleared his throat.

"When we were eight years old, we were going to see her at the park like we normally did when we didn't have school. Reiner was going to tell her how he felt when we were separated, haven't seen her since. He still hasn't lost hope that she is alive and he plans to find her when this is all over with." The sadness in his eyes for his friend was something that she had never seen before. This girl was really important to them, she thought as she watched Bertolt walk over to his friend to comfort him.

The sun had began to set when she finally came into view of the large fifty meter walls. Her blue eyes gleamed brightly as she admired the craftsmanship, Stark drawing her closer and closer toward the walls. They were now approaching the main gate of one of the outer cities when she spotted four guards, two on either side of the gate watching for any civilians.

Slowing Stark down to a trot as she approached the guards, she stopped him and removed her hood in order to reveal her face. "By chance, outsiders wouldn't be allowed in seeking shelter from those monstrosities would they?"

"What is your name? And do you have a form of identification?" The head of the four guards, a bronze skinned brunette male, questioned her.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small i.d her teacher had her made since she didn't have a birth certificate. It held her name, date of birth, and a recent picture of herself. Handing it to him, she watched as the bald male circled around Stark looking for anything that wasn't allowed into the city, though found nothing. "This is the only thing I have."

"As long as it identifies you." Grabbing the i.d and looking over it an back to her, he nodded in approval and handed it back to her. "Everything adds up, you are free to enter."

"Thank you, sir." She smiled sweetly as she clicked her tongue causing Stark to trot forward, entering the gates.

Seeing how big the city was in person, she groaned loudly feeling as if she would never find him. Wiping her face with a sigh, she looked around for a place to get a bite to eat. Passing several roads, she finally spotted a small market that was a little further ahead.

Riley stopped and picked up some carrots for Stark and a honey glazed roll for herself. Going off onto a side road to eat, she looked up at the tall buildings as she took a bite from the sweet treat. She had heard a little bit about this place, especially about the walls. But, she wasn't too sure about their military except the fact that they use strange gear. She had been falling into her thoughts when two guys walked passed talking, she wasn't going to bother listening till she heard mention of the military.

"Yeah, recruitment is today and tomorrow. I'm going to try out!" The guy on the left practically yelled with excitement receiving a slap on the head from the one on the right.

"Pipe down! Sheesh you're loud." He sighed. "I heard it was at the training grounds just inside Wall Rose. Anyone could find it, but I'm not joining. I want to live."

Tuning out of their conversation, Riley finished up her meal and climbed back into the saddle. She would have to sign up tomorrow, right now she needed to focus on finding an apartment. Heading out onto the next street, she decided to search since it was now dark out.

Having found a stable for Stark for the night, she petted his neck after brushing him down. Leaving the stables, she was heading out to the left when she bumped into someone. Hitting the ground from the collision, her blue eyes looked up to see a female a little taller than herself with pale skin, blue eyes, and pale blonde hair staring at her coldly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. Ugh, I need to watch where I'm going." Riley sighed as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Hmph at least you admit to your mistakes." The female seemed to calm down a bit seeing that the girl who bumped into her was beating her own self up.

"Yeah, most people wouldn't." She giggled softly. "My name is Riley and I'm new around here." She stuck her hand out to the female with a smile, being friendly as she always was.

Her eyes widened as she heard the girl's name. Could she be the same one that Bertolt was talking about? Unsure, she accepted the handshake but didn't return the smile. "Annie Leonheart."

Familiar with the name, Riley smiled warmly. "You wouldn't by chance know of any available apartments would you?"

"Sure. Just follow me." Annie took the lead so that they wouldn't get lost, glancing back every so often to make sure Riley was still behind her.

Luckily it wasn't but a fifteen minute walk from the stables, so if she needed to she could get Stark and move more into the city if needed. Following Annie to a large five story apartment building, they had walked into the lobby when the other girl stopped.

"Here we are. Well, good luck with what you're here for." Annie then walked off before she could even respond, much less say thanks.

With a sigh, Riley walked up to the desk and waited for the person who was suppose to be behind the counter. Her thoughts were racing wildly which was starting to give her a headache and she was exhausted from the long ride that took her all day with barely any stops. Thus she really didn't feel like waiting to deal with all the paperwork, but knew it was going to take a minute.

Reaching their apartment on the fourth floor, Annie quickly made her way inside shutting and locking the door behind her. Sitting the bag of groceries on the kitchen table, she pulled out a chair and sat down resting her head in her hands.

Bertolt was sitting in the living room in his usual chair reading a book when he heard her come in. Looking up from it, he furrowed his brow wondering what was wrong with his roommate. Marking his place in the book and sitting it down, he got up and walked into the kitchen with a soft smile. "Did you find everything?"

"Yeah..." She replied dully, signalling she was deep in thought before she looked up at him and asked him something he did not expect. "Bertolt, what did your friend Riley look like? I'm just curious, may have seen her around Marley before."

Grabbing the tip of his chin with his right thumb and index finger, he thought back on their past. "She had long cherry blonde hair, blue eyes that always shimmered like the ocean, and pale skin. An ordinary girl, really."

"Okay...what would you say if I told you I think I just met her while out shopping?" Her blue eyes searched his now surprised and confused face for anything really to help her figure this out.

Taking a few minutes to think on the question, he crossed his arms over his chest. "I would think that it's impossible since she is still in Marley and has no idea where we are at. And besides, the Commander wouldn't let her leave anyway even if she was alive."

"Bertolt, I am being serious! I think your friend is down in the lobby signing papers for an apartment here!" Annie growled furiously, upset that he was doubting what she was saying.

"Easy, Annie. I'm not saying it isn't possible cause it could happen. I'm just saying don't be yelling that if you don't know if it is her. Reiner is touchy on the subject and doesn't like anyone talking too much about her." He sighed. "I mean she is the only girl who has ever had his heart and doesn't even know it. I want to believe that you did see her because maybe it would straighten Reiner up, and it would be really nice to see her again."

Annie sighed knowing that he was right, for as long as she had been with these two she had learned them pretty well. She had also never heard any speak of her until today, all she knew is that this was the only day each year that the two of them got upset, Reiner more than Bertolt though.

"What if I brought you down there to see her, could you tell me if it is her?" She questioned the tall male who was listening intently before nodding without a response. "Alright, then let's go."

Having finally finished all of the paperwork which felt like a mountain, Riley rubbed her right hand roughly trying to massage it and gain her feeling back in it. The short elderly man that owned the apartments smiled happily as he handed her the key and a lease. "Hope you enjoy it. Fourth floor, number 408."

"Thanks." She cut her eyes at the man but smiled as she grabbed her bag and started up the stairs.

Stopping halfway up to the third floor to rest her weary legs, she sighed wishing he had one available on a lower floor. Picking her bag back up, she pushed herself to quickly get up to the fourth floor. Reaching the top of the fourth floor stairwell, she panted lightly as she decided to break there for a moment.

Pulling a bottle of water from her bag, she cracked it open and took a sip from it before the sound of a door opening caught her attention. Glancing to the left as she wiped her mouth of the excess water, her blue eyes widened with disbelief. Coming out of apartment number 407 was the girl she met earlier, Annie, but she wasn't alone. Beside her was a tall dark haired, tan skinned male with brown eyes.

Unable to control herself, tears began to swell in her eyes as she stood there staring at him. It was Bertolt. She knew if he was there then Reiner wasn't too far. Bolting down the hall, Riley quickly tackled the male as she cried out to him.

"Bertolt!!!! You're alive!!! Thank goodness!" She buried her face into the center of his ribs as his long arms wrapped around her.

"Riley..." Hugging her tightly against him, tears fell down his cheeks as he was finally reunited with their cherished childhood friend. "What happened to you?"

"I'll explain once we are all together." She smiled softly, tears of joy staining her cheeks as she finally let go of him to make an attempt at drying her blue eyes. "Where is Reiner?"

"He's in his room." Annie tried to hold back a small smile from seeing her friend so happy, it was as if Riley had been brought back from the dead. "It's down the hall, third door on the right. We are going to get our laundry from downstairs." She unlocked the door to their apartment for Riley who was shocked since Annie didn't know her, but seemed to trust her comrades.

Smiling, she hugged Annie's neck before walking inside the large three bedroom, two bath apartment. Once the door was shut behind her, Riley turned to face the living room before heading down the hall. Reaching the door that Annie said led to his room, she noticed it was slightly ajar.

Pushing the door lightly as to make no noise, her blue eyes spotted the male laid on his bed with his back to the door. She wasn't sure if he was awake or not, so she lightly knocked on the door to alert him of her presence. Waiting a moment with no response, she slowly entered the room.

Walking over to the left side of the bed where he was facing the wall, she smiled softly seeing that he was asleep. Gently sitting down on the bed beside him, she couldn't help but adore how peaceful he looked lying there. Gently running her fingers through his short blonde hair, she noticed he started to stir. Giggling silently to herself, she remembered him having always been a light sleeper.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." She whispered softly so her voice wouldn't startle him.

Slowly opening his pale eyes, Reiner squinted a moment before sitting up and blinking once before opening his eyes. When his vision focused, he could not believe his eyes.This has to be a dream,he thought to himself as he looked at the girl who was sitting beside him on his bed.

Giggling at not receiving a response, she quickly snaked her arms around his neck as tears began to fall once more. "I'm so glad you're safe...Reiner..."

As her soft, sweet voice spoke his name he felt every worry he had melt away leaving him feeling warm inside like he always did when Riley said his name.It really is her!Tears of joy fell down his face as his strong arms wrapped around her thin, curvaceous figure pulling her into his lap to hold her.

"I knew you were alive!" He held her close, burying his nose into her neck. This wasn't a dream, she was really here and in his arms again. His heart pounded from the joy he felt of being reunited with her. Finally letting her go after a long moment of holding her, he wiped his eyes. "How did you get here? How did you find us?"

"Come on, let's go in the living room so I can tell everyone." Standing up from his lap, she grabbed his hand and pulled him with her.

Once everyone had gathered in the living room, they all sat down and got settled. Reiner had taken a seat beside Riley while Annie and Bertolt sat on the couch in front of them. Taking a deep breath, all eyes were on Riley waiting to hear what had happened.

"The day we got separated, the military men had taken me far outside the city to a small tent out in an open field. I'm not sure how far it was away, but it obviously kept the city safe. They stuck me with a needle that had the spinal fluid of a Titan. I'm sure they did the same to you three." Riley looked at them all as they nodded before continuing her story. "After my transformation, they used me to destroy so many cities and towns that I don't even know where to start. I was known as the 'Mother Titan' because of the split personality that my Titan body has. If it enters combat with the help of a fellow Titan shifter, it will kill anyone and anything that hurts them no matter if I want it to or not. I can't control it."

"So all these years you've been fighting?" Bertolt asked sad to see that she was done the same way.

Nodding softly, she sighed. "Yeah. And under the close supervision of the Commander's son, so trying to escape wasn't an option. Two weeks ago his son died and because of it he released me from supervision. I had been planning my escape and stocking up on things I needed when I was walking by the office this morning and heard them boasting. They let me know, secretly, where you were located. So I wrote it down and left immediately. I just had to come find you..." Having finished, she looked at the three of them as they had sat silent as she told her story.

"None of that matters now." Reiner spoke sternly as he gently grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes, admiring their shimmering blue hue. "You are here with us now. And no one is ever going to steal you away again."

Smiling happily, she was finally reunited with the only ones she ever cared about. Her blue eyes glanced over to Bertolt who was yawning as it was late. Standing up, Reiner let go of her hand so that she could stretch.

Yawning herself, she smiled sleepily. "Well, I guess it's time for bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow. And thanks a lot, Annie for taking care of them and keeping them out of trouble."

"No problem. Goodnight Riley, it was good meeting you." Annie waved to her before shutting them out of her bedroom as she headed to bed, Bertolt wasn't far behind her himself as he hugged Riley before heading to his own room.

Reiner stood up and followed her to the door so that he could walk her out. Shutting the door behind them, he quickly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her against his muscular, toned chest. Closing her eyes, Riley blushed lightly having not had this feeling before. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as heat rushed to her cheeks when his right hand caressed her lower back and his left wrapped around her shoulder. His steady, strong heart beat thumped in her ear at a rythym that melted all her worries and stress away. He wasn't the same little boy she use to know, he was much larger than she had ever imagined him to be.

"Riley...please don't ever leave me again..." His deep masculine voice whispered softly in her ear as he ran his left hands fingers through her long cherry blonde hair.

Blushing lightly at his words, she looked up at him with a sweet smile. "Trust me, I am not going anywhere else. But, I was thinking about joining the military here."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Pale eyes stared down at the small female who was smiling up at him.

"Reiner, I will be fine. I'll have you, Bertolt, and Annie there. Besides, I am a 'Mother' after all." Giggling softly at the mixed expression he had of being shocked and concerned, she poked his cheek lightly. "Besides, I'll be able to show you what I can really do."

Chuckling softly, he hugged her tightly once more before letting her go. "Alright alright, you've made your point. Go get some rest, we're leaving at sunrise."

"Okay. I'll be ready." Skipping over to her apartment that was across the hall, she smiled brightly at him one last time. "Goodnight Reiner."

"Goodnight, Riley." He watched her head inside before doing the same.

Not even bothering looking around her new furnished apartment, Riley headed straight for the bedroom. Dropping her bag on the floor beside the dresser, she flopped on the bed with a groan of relief. Without another thought in her mind, she dozed off into a well deserved slumber.

Having woke up an hour before sunrise, Riley had decided to take a hot morning shower to wash away the remaining sleep. She was finishing up washing her hair when she heard knocking at her door. Turning off the water once all the conditioner was out, she wrapped a large blue towel around herself and grabbed a smaller one to dry her hair as she went to the door to see who it was.

"Who is it?" She called out softly before looking through the small peep hole in the door.

"Reiner." The male's familiar deep voice responded softly but still had a hint of sleep.

Giggling softly having noticed it, she unlocked the chain lock and normal lock before opening the door. "You're up early."

When the door opened and his pale eyes locked onto the girl standing in the doorway, heat quickly rose to his cheeks turning them pink. She was standing there in nothing but a towel wrapped around her chest that draped down barely to her mid thigh. Quickly averting his gaze to the floor, he coughed into his fist. "I-I was just coming by to see if you would want to get some breakfast."

"Of course! I got to get finished getting ready if you wanna wait in here?" She smiled stepping out of the doorway so that he could come inside.

Nodding softly, he stepped inside and shut the door behind them before following her into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he watched her bounce on her toes into her bedroom. Once the door shut, he let out a deep breath he had been holding in as his cheeks were now dark pink. He had noticed how well her body had filled out now that she was older, normally she was all he thought about but now the image he just seen was burned into his memory.

Slipping on a red v-neck short sleeve shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans, and her black knee high boots, Riley snatched her brush from her dresser and quickly combed through her hair before leaving her bedroom and heading into the living room. Seeing that he was still sitting there, she smiled happily before pouncing over the back of the couch to wrap her arms playfully around his neck.

"Ready, hehe." She nuzzled his face lovingly like a cat before letting him go and standing fully.

He chuckled softly and stood up to head over to the door. Leading them out, he looked down the hall as Bertolt and Annie were waiting for them like he had asked.

Once they had met up with the other and left the building, they headed out into the town. Riley had filled them in on a lot that happened in the nine years they were apart, and even told Annie about her past to fill her in as if she had always been there. They had stopped by a corner restaurant and got some breakfast to go since today was the last day of recruitment.

Looking around as they headed straight for the training grounds, Riley made sure to remember her surroundings that way she wouldn't get lost trying to get around the city. That was until they stopped when they heard a loud roar from beyond the walls.

"At least the damn things can't get passed the wall." A nearby civilian muttered with fear before running away from the area.

"People are really that scared of them?" Riley blinked her shimmering blue eyes curiously, but, turned and kept walking with the others.

After signing up and receiving their uniforms, Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner stood outside the changing room waiting on Riley whom seemed to be having trouble.

"Ugh!" She growled as this had to be the most frustrating thing ever done, and the most embarrassing.

"Everything ok in there?" Reiner had grew very concerned but was not being the one to open the door and have her smack him.

"The straps don't fit over my chest! It's too small!" She opened the door to show them that the harness would not strap over her chest, no matter how hard she tried. "Do they not think about boobs?! Seriously!"

She was about to go back and trade the harness back in when Bertolt grabbed the two straps and easily buckled them after just a few stretches. "There. These things have a trick to the chest straps since they kept them in storage for a while."

"Thank you, Bertolt!" She smiled brightly and threw the uniform jacket on before following them out of the building. She was happy, each of them made it onto the 104th training squad and they received their new uniforms.

"He said to show up at six a.m right?" Reiner questioned as he looked at the others, having not heard what time they were suppose to show up.

"Yeah, with our things packed and ready. We will be living there until we graduated." Annie looked over at Reiner with a cold gaze, disapproving him not paying attention.

Giggling softly at the face Reiner made when Annie looked away, she smiled happily. She had her friends back and a new one, a new apartment, and she was accepted into the military. So far, her day was going well.

Night had fallen when they finally got back to the apartment building. Annie and Bertolt decided to call it a night while Reiner decided to hang out with Riley for a little while longer.

While he was relaxing on the couch, she was in the kitchen fixing them some drinks. She had gotten comfortable in a pair of gray shorts and a blue tank top, her long cherry blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. Carrying the drinks into the living room, she sat down beside him and handed him his glass.

"Fresh sweet ice tea, hehe. Learned to make it from one of the cooks in HQ back home." She smiled softly before taking a sip to test and see how she done.

"What else did you learn?" He chuckled and sipped the sweet cold drink with a soft smile, enjoying the taste as they relaxed.

Her thin pink lips pursing in thought as she sat her glass down on the cherry wood coffee table. "Let's see, there is cooking, sewing, horse care, some painting when I have the time, and things a woman is supposed to know."

"You were always good at drawing but never did I expect you to become a painter." Snickering lightly as he teased her, he couldn't help but laugh when her face became flustered like it always did when she got upset.

Slapping his left bicep, Riley squeaked in pain before shaking her hand limply back and forth. "Your biceps are fucking bricks!"

"Did you expect me to stay small forever?" Laughing, he managed to slide away from another slap to the arm.

"Kinda!" She pursed her lips into a playful pout before picking her tea back up and sipping it lightly. "Either way, you were always a cutie."

His cheeks flushed a light pink when she said 'cutie' causing him to look away before scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Heh, if you say so. Well, we best be getting to bed. We got many long days ahead of us."

"Yeah...you're right..." She sighed softly not wanting him to go, but knew he was right. Standing up and giving him a hug goodnight, she walked him out before shutting her door and heading into her bedroom.

Flopping on her bed, she grabbed her chest right over her heart. It began to feel lonely every time Reiner left, but when he was around it fluttered an caused butterflies in her stomach as it had never done before. Unsure what she was feeling, Riley decided sleep was the best thing for it right now. Slowly dozing off, the last thing on her mind before everything went black was Reiner.

Three months later...

Riley had just finished her work out session and had taken residence on a vacant seat to watch the rest of the training squad finish up their sessions. Her blue eyes shimmered brightly in the sunlight showing her excitement as today was one of her favorite holidays.

She had been deep in her thoughts about an idea she had when two large hands quickly clasped her shoulders causing her to scream and jump up from her seat. When she turned around she saw Commander Shadis laughing heartily for the first time she had ever seen.

"That was the easiest scare I've ever done, cadet." He smirked before crossing his arms.

"Haha, you got me, sir. So, you're aware of what today is?" She giggled softly.

Nodding once, he grinned deviously. "Oh yes. That's why I've come actually. The guards are throwing a Halloween party for all the cadets as a reward and a way to cut loose a little bit. The one thing required is a costume and there will be a costume contest."

"Really?! That's amazing, sir." Riley's eyes lite up even brighter at the news he gave her.

"Will you be attending?" Looking down at her for a moment before looking out at the training cadets, Shadis was proud of them even if he didn't let it be known.

"Of course, sir. I couldn't miss a Halloween party!" Riley spun around on her heels happily.

Chuckling, Shadis shook his head. "It won't be a fully normal party. You are soldiers now, so there will be alcohol if you choose to drink it. God rest your soul if you don't."

Before she could respond, she watched the Commander walk off to go relay the news to the rest of the cadets. Leaning back a little on the bench, she thought about a few costume ideas she had as she watched her comrades.

"Hey!" A tall tan skinned girl with dark hair she knew as Ymir sat down beside her. "You heard about the Halloween party tonight?"

"Yeah." Riley smiled softly as she was trying to decide on a costume while looking over at the female. "You going?"

"Hell yeah! I plan on getting laid tonight." Ymir gave a coy grin as her dark eyes looked over to where Reiner was working out in his normal black tank top. "And by a total hottie as well."

Riley felt her blood begin to boil as she stood up. She wasn't sure why she was now so angry, but, at the moment she didn't care. "I wouldn't go for him if I was you."

"Oh?" Ymir grinned deviously. "Does he belong to you?"

"No." Her heart began to pound fast as her hands clenched into fists.

"Then he is available. And that means he is fair game." Standing up, Ymir giggled to herself. "I can't wait to taste those yummy lips of his."

Before she could catch herself, Riley had swiftly spun on her left heel and rammed her right knee up into Ymir's stomach sending her flying a few feet backwards to land on her back.

Growling as she gripped her stomach, Ymir shot Riley a deathly glare. "What the hell was that for?!"

"I don't care who you are, you will not talk about him like that!" Riley stanced herself ready to fight as Ymir got up and charged her.

Avoiding the left hook Ymir had thrown, Riley punched straight with her right arm landing a connecting hit to the bridge of Ymir's nose. Once the female had drew back and closed her eyes, Riley grabbed her head and pulled her head down while bringing her own knee up. Her knee cap slammed into the bottom of Ymir's jaw sending her flying back again.

"You stupid bitch!" Ymir growled as she got up to charge Riley once more but was blocked by Bertolt this time. "You can't protect her forever! Stupid little bitch! I'll make sure it happens!"

Those last words seemed to have struck one of Riley's nerves as she launched herself over Bertolt and slammed the heel of her left foot into the side of Ymir's head before Bertolt managed to pick her up.

"Riley, calm down!" He muttered between struggles of trying to hold his friend. "It's not worth it!"

"It is too worth it!" She squirmed in his arms violently but was not getting free. "She will not dare touch him! I swear it!"

"Reiner! Help me!" Bertolt called out to the blonde brute who was running over to see what was going on.

Being sat on her feet in front of Reiner, she crossed her arms and never tore her dead-ridden stare from Ymir till she was finally out of sight. Once she was gone and it was just the three of them standing there, Riley huffed as she refused to look at her friends right now till she calmed down.

"What the hell happened?" Reiner questioned as he looked down at Riley.

Shaking his head and shrugging, Bertolt didn't have the slightest idea himself. "I don't know, I looked over here and Riley had jumped on Ymir. Probably for her smart mouth though."

"Riley?" With his right hand, Reiner gently grabbed Riley's chin and made her look up at them. "Will you tell us what happened?"

"She better hope I don't see her at the Halloween party tonight." Riley mumbled as she kept her head up thanks to his hand but cut her eyes away from them. "I will fucking eat her..." Her voice deepened slightly as her eyes flashed from blue to gold then back.

Before they could ask any more questions, Riley walked over to where her bag was sitting on the bench and snatched it up before leaving the camp since she had finished up everything the Commander had appointed her to finish. The walk home was going to be a long one, but, she needed the time alone to collect herself.

Reiner and Bertolt looked at each other then back at her before she had left their sight.

"I'm believe it was something about you." Bertolt finally broke the silence between the two of them, earning a strange look from his best friend. "Nothing has ever set Riley off like that before unless it has been about one of us."

Thinking on his best friend's words, Reiner nodded in agreement. "That is true. But, why would Ymir want to mess with Riley? She hasn't before."

"You idiots, it's because Riley is in love with Reiner." Annie's voice came out of nowhere as she had snuck up between them with her bag over her shoulder. "Ymir loves starting shit and knew exactly what would give Riley that push to fight her."

"Where the hell did you come from?!" Reiner stared down at the blonde female wide eyed as she had a tendency to sneak up next to them.

Thinking long and hard about it, Bertolt nodded. "Now that I think about it, she has been acting weird around you."

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I am going to talk with her and get my costume ready for tonight, you guys better do the same." Annie smirked before leaving them to their dumbfounded thoughts.

Sitting on her couch with some beautiful cloth in one hand and needle an thread in the other, she decided to take her mind off of the previous events to sew. One stitch, two stitch, three stitch, she counted before knocking sounded on her door.

"Come in!" Riley called out as she had left her door unlocked for visitors.

Opening the door, Annie stepped inside and shut it behind her before stepping into the living room and sitting down on the chair that sat to the right of the couch. "I heard about earlier. You alright?"

"I'm fine. It's Ymir everyone needs to be worried about." As the events flashed through her head again and Ymir's words stung in her ears, Riley clenched the cloth tightly before sitting it and the thread down. "She touches him, I will kill her."

"Mind telling me what happened? I won't tell the guys. Trust me." Annie smiled softly, something she rarely done.

With a sigh, Riley knew she needed to tell someone and the only other one she trusted aside from Bertolt and Reiner was Annie. Laying back against the couch, she sighed. "I don't know what came over me. Ymir said she was going to try and get Reiner to fuck her. I lost it. I won't let her touch him."

"I see. Riley, have you ever thought that maybe you are in love with Reiner?" She questioned, unsure of how the girl she was speaking with was gonna act.

Sitting up and looking at Annie, her blue eyes were now full of confusion and curiousity. "How could I tell?"

"Well, it's kind of just something that you know." Leaning back in the chair, Annie studied her before nodding once. "You look at him the same way I look at Bertolt."

"You're in love with Bertolt? Why haven't you told him?" Riley smiled softly as she looked at Annie who was now blushing.

"Yeah. Ever since he saved my life on our first mission together." Thinking about it, she sighed softly. "But, I have told him. He feels the same way, but we want to keep it in secrecy for now. You and Reiner are the only ones who know."

Smiling brightly as she was happy to hear this for her friends, Riley looked down at the floor thinking about Reiner. A blush overcame her cheeks as she thought about him, her heart fluttering within her chest.

"So, the Halloween party. What are you going as?" Annie looked over to a black witches hat that sat on the kitchen table.

"Oh, hehe. I'm going as a Neko witch, though the costume is a little bit revealing. Not bad though. What about you?" Riley stood up and stretched from how long she had actually been sitting on her couch.

"I'm going as a nurse. But, I got to find another nurse dress since mine has a rip." Annie groaned remembering the rip and how frustrated it made her.

"I could fix it for you if you'd like. Won't take but a minute." Riley smiled and pulled a fresh needle from her pincushion and some white thread from her small bag of many different colored thread.

"That would be great!" Relieved, she quickly retrieved the white dress from her apartment and handed it to Riley.

Looking over the rip, she nodded softly. Threading the needle, she went to work. About five minutes passed when she had finished off tying the string. Holding it up in view of where the rip was, there was not a single trace of it having ever happened.

"There you go. Good as new." Smiling, she handed it back to Annie.

"Thank you, Riley." Annie smiled before looking at the time. "We better hurry and get ready, the party starts in twenty minutes."

"Right. I'll meet you three there, go on ahead without me." Smiling as Annie nodded unsure, she watched her leave before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Now to quickly get this damn costume on."

Night had fallen and the Halloween party had started. Reiner and the others had went ahead, even though Annie and Bertolt had to force Reiner to follow. Having put the finishing touches on her costume, she smiled happily before looking in the mirror.

She wore a short black tutu dress speckled with fake spider webbing that was held on by a thin black ribbon around the back of her neck, lavender ribbon laced down the sides tied in bows lined on her hips along with a pair of black and lavender striped leggings, and a pair of cute black heels. Her long cherry blonde hair was lightly curled with two black cat ears poking out from under the small black witches hat that had a hole cut in it for the ear. Turning hallway around, Riley smiled when she seen the long thin black cat tail with a lavender bow tied on the tip swing around falling just below her knees.

Satisfied, she ran out of her apartment and down to the training grounds. Locating the militaries HQ building, she slipped inside and joined the party. Slipping between all the cadets, her shimmering blue eyes scanned around for her friends. Not seeing them, she jumped and turned around when a hand lightly touched her shoulder. Sighing in relief seeing that it was Annie, she smiled brightly.

"Ta-da! Hehe, here's my costume." Twirling around so she could see it, she giggled.

"It looks amazing! Come on, we managed to get a booth." Grabbing Riley's wrist, she pulled her along through the dancing crowd over to a more vacant area.

When her blue eyes spotted Bertolt and Reiner, she blushed brightly. Bertolt was dressed in a matching costume with Annie as a Dr/Nurse couple while Reiner on the other hand was wrapped up like a mummy except the fact that his muscular toned torso was mostly revealed along with half of his face. Following Annie all the way over to the booth, she stood at the edge of the table with a soft giggle at their faces when they looked up.

"Hehe, like it? I hand made it." Still blushing, she watched as Annie sat beside Bertolt before holding his hand beneath the table.

"You really are a tailor!" Bertolt exclaimed as he admired the stitching. "Annie showed me where you repaired her costume, but, wow!"

Blushing brightly beneath the wrappings on his face, Reiner couldn't tear his pale eyes away from her. "Y-you look beautiful."

Grabbing her tail before sitting down beside Reiner, she blushed at his compliment. "Thank you, hehe. So, how is the party so far? Anything interesting happen in my absence?"

"Reiner entered all of us in the single costume contest." Annie said plainly and bluntly, selling him out with a smirk.

"Annie!" Reiner whined as he looked worriedly at Riley not wanting to receive her wrath.

Shocked by the news, she sat in silence a moment before giggling. "Well, it's too late now. Besides, they vote by gender with the best costume." Her blue eyes gleamed with deviousness. "It's the scare king and queen, Commander Shadis told me that when I seen him out earlier on a thread run."

"Seriously?!" The three gasped in unison causing Riley to laugh.

"Of course! It's only natural!" Calming her laughter before wiping a tear from her left eye, she sat back against the booth smiling.

The night was going well, Bertolt had asked Annie to dance not caring about hiding their relationship anymore, everyone was having fun, and she hadn't seen Ymir anywhere. She was now sitting on the inside of the booth when Reiner went to get them some drinks. Laying her head back and listening to the music that was playing, she quickly glanced at the happy couple dancing before closing her eyes to relax. This had been the first time in a long time that she could actually relax, therefore she was taking the opportunity. That was until a voice that got beneath her skin called out to her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" It was Ymir standing there dressed like an Arabian belly dancer with that same smirk she always had. "I told you Reiner is mine tonight."

Growling as she sat up, she did not feel like dealing with this tonight. Sliding to the edge of the booth and swinging her legs out, her blue eyes shot up in a deathly glare. If looks could kill, then this would have been over. "Go away, Ymir. I am really not in the mood to deal with your shit."

"Aww, listen at that. Little kitty kitty doesn't have any claws." She mocked, watching the anger boil within Riley.

Growling lowly, she looked passed Ymir to see Reiner coming back with the drinks. "Will you just fuck off, Ymir. I'm not dealing with it."

As soon as Riley had went to turn, Ymir grabbed her bicep swiftly and jerked her from her seat before slamming her hard against the wall. Coughing at the collision, Riley stood up and dusted herself off as her blue eyes held pure hatred at this point. "You are really asking for a death wish."

Seeing this as he had sat the drinks down, Reiner quickly turned around and swept Ymir up by the throat. Growling deeply, he slung her into the parallel booth before walking over to Riley. Without saying a word he snaked his right arm around her waist and led her outside into the cool night breeze after grabbing his jacket.

"Where are we going, Reiner?" Looking up at him as they walked, crossing her arms over her chest and grabbing her biceps as she was feeling a bit chilly.

Stopping, he took his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Staring down into her eyes, he sighed. "Why didn't you tell me that she was bothering you?"

Looking down as she grabbed the edges of the jacket to pull it tighter around herself, she let out a soft sigh. "Because it wasn't that big of a deal. Bullies are bullies, no matter how popular."

"I know that, but I am here to protect you. So you don't have to deal with that kind of treatment anymore." Gently caressing her left cheek with his right hand, he pulled her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes. "You've dealt with enough of that for so long, Riley. I don't like seeing you hurt, especially when I can do something about it."

Staring up into his pale eyes, they were filled with concern and worry. Riley felt guilty for not telling him, but she didn't want him seeing her as weak. Unsure of how to respond, she decided not to.

"Riley..." Looking down into her blue eyes that he could always find himself lost in, Reiner couldn't resist no longer. Lifting her chin, he leaned down and pressed his lips tenderly against hers pouring his heart into the kiss.

Blushing brightly, her heart felt like it was going to explode from how fast it was beating. Standing up on her tip toes, she softly pressed her lips back into his as her thin arms snaked around his strong neck. The kiss lasted for a moment before Reiner broke it gently so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Riley, I have always loved you...I just never told you...the day we were separated, I was going to tell you how I felt but I never got the chance so I waited till I seen you again..." His pale eyes held all the sadness he felt for losing her.

Placing her small hands on his broad muscular shoulders, she stood as tall as she could on her tip toes and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "I am here now and I am not going anywhere. Reiner, I love you and I will stay by your side for as long as you want me to."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he picked her up with a bright smile and spun her around. "Good, cause I wasn't going to let you go. No matter what."

"Then that settles it, hehe. You're stuck with me." Wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling his cheek lovingly, she kicked her feet gently as she was sitting on his left bicep.

"Hey, you guys!" Bertolt yelled as he ran out frantically to find them.

"Everything ok, Bert?" Reiner questioned as he turned around still holding Riley up with his left arm.

Panting heavily, Bertolt stood up fully and looked at them with a serious look in his eyes. "Ymir has gone on a drunken rage and is trying to fight everyone in there, even the Commander's! She is blabbering on about eating everyone in there as if she were a Titan."

"Seriously?! They need to lock her ass away or something." Riley smirked as she ran her fingers through Reiner's short blonde hair. "I mean, I could handle her but that would expose who I really am."

"We don't need that. But, someone has to get her. Annie is fighting her right now just so she would shut her mouth." He sighed heavily having just wanted a good night.

"Hm. I'll take her on then." Reiner growled as he sat Riley on her feet.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she removed her heels and headed straight for the party. Her friends called out to her, but she kept walking until the sight of Annie and Ymir was clear in her blue eyes.

Stepping between them, Riley drew her right fist back and punched Ymir dead in the nose. When Annie backed up and rejoined Bertolt an Reiner, Ymir hissed in pain before glaring with teary eyes at Riley. "So, you finally come out of hiding."

"Oh, I was never hiding." As Ymir charged her, she side stepped to avoid each time the drunk female charged. The last time she charged, Riley barely stuck her foot out and tripped her, quickly grabbing the back of her neck and slamming her face down into the floor.

Growling in anger and rage, Ymir hissed and thrashed violently. "Riley!!!! I swear I will eat you first!!!!"

Leaning down so only Ymir could hear her, Riley's voice grew deeper and darker in pitch and tone. "Go ahead and try to kill my children. I don't care if you are one either, I will devour you if you keep on about this. Now, straighten yourself up or go die."

Ymir quickly scurried to her feet and ran as fast as she could out of the building. Standing fully with a watchful eye, Riley giggled softly before bouncing on her toes back over to Reiner and the others.

Once the music started back up, her smile widened when it was one of her favorite slow songs. Grabbing Reiner by the hand, she giggled when he blushed as she pulled him into the crowd of dancers before wrapping her thin arms around his neck. They spent the rest of the night in each other's arms, dancing in perfect harmony.


End file.
